Compare military bases / Fort Irwin → Fort Hamilton
Irwin → Hamilton
Compare Fort Irwin and Fort Hamilton
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Irwin to Fort Hamilton?
This calculator uses 2026 DTMO (Defense Travel Management Office) rates for selected pay grade and dependent status.
Monthly BAH at E-5 pay grade without dependents.
- Fort Irwin
- $1,695
- Fort Hamilton
- $4,980
- Higher BAH at Fort Hamilton
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Irwin
- $435/mo short
- Fort Hamilton
- $2,070/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Barstow vs New York
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Irwin Barstow 92312 | Fort Hamilton New York 11202 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $245,000 | $777,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,091/mo | $1,821 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,130/mo | $2,910 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,820/mo | $3,640 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $2,201/mo | $2,910 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$435/mo | +$2,070/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$819/mo | +$1,430/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$435/mo at Fort Irwin vs +$2,070/mo at Fort Hamilton. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$819/mo vs +$1,430/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. New York
| California | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 8.54% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 1.30% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 10.9% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $513,450 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $2,201 | $2,910 |
| Climate high/low | 80° / 60°F | 64° / 50°F |
| Annual precip | 4.2 in | 45.3 in |
| Nearby city | Barstow | Brooklyn |
| Host state | California | New York |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → New York
PCS checklist for Fort Hamilton
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Hamilton uses MHA NY219 (ZIP 11252).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Hamilton is $2,910/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New New York residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Hamilton.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fort Hamilton ($5,070 vs $2,001).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $777,600 in New York vs $245,000 in Barstow (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,910 in 11202 vs $2,130 in 92312.
- Host-state wage tax is 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California vs 4%–10.9% state; NYC adds local tax in New York (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.54% in New York vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Irwin to Fort Hamilton?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,001 vs $5,070; without dependents: $1,695 vs $4,980.
What do homes cost in Barstow vs New York?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $245,000 in Barstow city, California vs $777,600 in New York city, New York. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,091 vs $1,821. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Fort Hamilton?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 11202 (New York) is $2,910/mo for a 2-bedroom and $3,640/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $2,910/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Irwin to Fort Hamilton?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$435/mo at Fort Irwin vs +$2,070/mo at Fort Hamilton. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$819/mo vs +$1,430/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
Does my state income tax change if I PCS from Fort Irwin to Fort Hamilton?
Usually not just because the duty station changes. Military pay generally follows legal residence under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; spouses may have similar protection. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). New York: 4%–10.9% state; NYC adds local tax. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How different is the climate from Fort Irwin to Fort Hamilton?
Annual normals at Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) are 80° / 60°F and 4.2 in of precipitation vs 64° / 50°F and 45.3 in at LaGuardia (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fort Hamilton?
New New York residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (10 and 20 days in California).
Related PCS
Your PCS
Only destinations that share a service with the origin are listed.
Sources
Housing figures below are for the installation (MHA, HUD rent, climate). Host-state tax rates are statewide averages — not a tax return. County add-ons can differ, and wage tax on military pay follows legal residence, not the duty station.
- BAH (with and without dependents). DTMO CY2026 BAH tables for Fort Irwin (CA028); Fort Hamilton (NY219). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — San Bernardino County $2,201; Kings County $2,910.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 92312 (Barstow) $2,130 / $2,820; 11202 (New York) $2,910 / $3,640.
- Off-base city home value and rent. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year 2020–2024 tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes) and B25064 (median gross rent) for Barstow city, California ($245,000, $1,091/mo) and New York city, New York ($777,600, $1,821/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) (USW00023169); LaGuardia (NWS) (USW00014732).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and New York from the Tax Foundation 2026 individual income-tax tables. On this page they describe the host state, not automatically the tax on a military LES (legal residence can stay put). BAH is untaxed.
- Combined sales tax near the installation. Tax Foundation January 2026 state-and-local sales-tax averages for California and New York. Used as an off-base shopping stand-in; city and county add-ons vary.
- Effective property tax if you buy off-base. Tax Foundation 2026 property taxes by state for California and New York. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. California motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 20 days; title tax 7.25%); New York motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 8.00%). These are host-state motor-vehicle rules, not BAH.
- Vehicle personal-property tax on the host-state snapshot. WalletHub 2026 vehicle property-tax table for California and New York. This is a statewide car-tax flag, not real-estate tax and not BAH.
- Statewide median home value on the host-state snapshot. Experian / Zillow March 2026 state medians for California and New York. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.